Texas Legislature Kicks off New Session

On Tuesday, the 86^th Texas Legislative Session convened and members, new and old, were officially sworn in. Overall, it was a great day for members who were joined by their loved ones and constituents throughout the day. On Monday, Comptroller Hegar announced the state will have $119.12 billion to spend for the 2020-2021 biennium. This is great news, because it is an eight percent increase from original projections. The revenue estimates will set the tone for the legislative session, as lawmakers will now know how much money they can spend as they write the budget. Chamber President and CEO Richard Perez and VP of Public Policy Stephanie Reyes were on hand to meet with key members of the Texas House and Senate. It is vital that members of the legislature are aware of the Chamber’s top legislative priorities this session, which include:

• Advocating for school finance reform,
• Opposing infringement on private employers’ rights,
• Preserving key economic development tools, and
• Supporting funding for state highway and infrastructure projects.

If there is one takeaway from the first few days of session, it is that leadership is committed to public school finance reform and lowering property taxes. The business community has been clear – it is time for the legislature to make public school finance reform a reality. Our 2019 Chair of the board Paula Gold-Williams and Richard wrote an op-ed, which appeared in Sunday’s San Antonio Express News, urging lawmakers to renew the state’s commitment to funding public schools equitably. We encourage all of you to make your voices heard this legislative session at VIVA San Antonio day at the State Capitol on March 5, 2019. This year VIVA will be an all-day event, giving you more time for you to meet with key legislators. If you have not registered, you can do so by clicking here. Click here to sponsor VIVA San Antonio.